


El Plan Dorado

by parisdesai



Series: El Plan Dorado [2]
Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:48:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27126769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/parisdesai/pseuds/parisdesai
Summary: “You have nothing to say?” Martín suddenly asked with a raised eyebrow. “I’m disappointed. I mean I wasn’t expecting a welcome back party but I also wasn’t expecting...”“This.” He finished with a disgusted tone as he gestured to Berlin’s shocked expression plastered across his face clear as day for anyone to see.“Martín." Andrés said curtly as he quickly concealed his surprise even though his head was beginning to spin in uncontrollable circles. “It’s been a long time.”“Five years.” Palermo pointed out with a slight frown.
Relationships: Berlin | Andrés de Fonollosa/Palermo | Martín Berrote, Bogotá/Nairobi | Ágata Jiménez, Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina, Rio | Aníbal Cortés/Tokyo | Silene Oliveira
Series: El Plan Dorado [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979743
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	El Plan Dorado

* * *

_  
“Leaving so soon?” Martín asked with an arrogant smirk that didn’t quite match the tired look in his eyes._

Andrés stood deadly still as his breathing hitched.

It was as if time had stopped and he subconsciously sighed as his eyes began to run up and down the man’s body.

He didn’t look like how Andrés once remembered. Palermo was always hopelessly optimistic and full of life. He had an undeniable spark that fueled Andrés’ want to strive for more and to succeed in his profession.

But as Andrés studied Martín he quickly realized that he couldn’t find any ounce of life within him.

The person standing just a mere few feet away looked and sounded like his former friend but when he stared into his eyes he didn’t find the familiar spark that was once there. No. Instead he saw nothing. It was almost as if Martín was dead inside and Andrés couldn’t bring himself to figure out why.

“You have nothing to say?” Martín suddenly asked with a raised eyebrow. “I’m disappointed. I mean I wasn’t expecting a welcome back party but I also wasn’t expecting...”

“This.” He finished with a disgusted tone as he gestured to Berlin’s shocked expression plastered across his face clear as day for anyone to see.

“Martín." Andrés said curtly as he quickly concealed his surprise even though his head was beginning to spin in uncontrollable circles. “It’s been a long time.”

“Five years.” Palermo pointed out with a slight frown.

“Five years.” Andrés repeated slowly as if it was in a different language that he didn’t quite understand.

“I would ask how you’ve been but I don’t really care.” Martín said with a shaky voice that clearly betrayed him and his attempt at pretending like he wasn’t a broken man.

Andrés couldn’t find any words to respond with.

What could he even say to Martín? That he was sorry for what happened five years ago? That he didn’t want to push him away? That his brother ultimately gave him no choice? That he regretted it all the moment he walked into work the next day to find a letter of resignation on his desk from him? That his team was never the same without his brilliant mind that captivated everyone around him? That everyday without Palermo had felt like trying to breathe without oxygen? That he missed his best friend desperately? That he truly did love him? 

He could.

He could say all of that but somehow he knew that it wouldn’t be enough.

It wouldn’t be enough because deep down Andrés knew that the man standing in front of him was a mere shell of the person he once was because of him and no amount of words would fix it.

So Andrés did what he does best.

He mustered up all the anger and all the hatred he needed and he lashed out at his former friend.

“Sergio.” Berlin said as he calmly walked over to his brothers’ still figure and grabbed his badge and gun from the desk that he had placed there just moments before. “Perhaps I was over reacting.”

“Right.” Sergio said evidently unconvinced with his brothers statement.

“I would be delighted to lead this case.” Andrés assured him as he turned around to face Palermo once again.

“Martín.” He said cooly as he walked back over to the door way and politely ushered the man out of the way so he could slip past. “Although our ending was unfortunate it doesn’t change the fact that I’ve known you for over a decade so you can stop this embarrassing charade you have going on.”

“It’s clear that you’ve let yourself go.” Berlin commented with a patronizing smirk. “And what makes it even more humiliating for everyone involved is that you still to this day care about what I think.”

“I thought I told you to move on five years ago? But it’s clear to me that you haven’t. It’s quite sad really.” He said as he ignored the pain in his chest that resulted from seeing Martín’s hurt expression on his face and walked into the hallway as began to make his way back down the steps to his desk.

But as the bright sunlight from the common area of the office began to seep through the large windows near the steps it dawned on Andrés that everyone who had gotten kicked out of the room prior to Palermo showing up would want answers and he wasn’t sure that he was prepared to talk about their unspoken past with people he didn’t even consider as friends but only as mere coworkers. 

“Mr. Fonollosa?” A soft female voice asked as his left foot hit the bottom step of the office floor and he turned his head to the woman who dared to interrupt him.

“It’s Special Agent Fonollosa.” Andrés corrected with a slight sneer as he turned his head to face the “newbie” whom Tokyo was supposed to be training.

Her face morphed into one of pure terror as she stuttered on her words. “I’m...I’m...sorry...Special Agent Fonollosa.” 

“What do you want?” Andrés snapped impatiently as he watched the woman shake with nerves.

“I...I have...a question...” She said as Berlin’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion from her words but gestured for her to continue anyway.

“Who’s Palermo?” She blurted out as Andrés’ face went blank.

He was about to question how she even knew about Martín but before he did he glanced behind the younger woman to see Tokyo, Denver, and Helsinki standing in a small group directly facing them.

Suddenly everything clicked for Berlin.

Tokyo and her team had sent the newbie over to face Andrés’ wrath and he had no patience for it because contrary to what they think this wasn’t a game.

“What’s your name again?” He asked with a small chuckle.

“Stockholm.” She said quickly.

“Stockholm.” Andrés repeated as if the word was a toxin that would kill him.

“I know you’re new here which is why I will give you your one and only free pass. But from now on you don’t ask me questions that don’t pertain to a case we’re working on together or I promise you that I’ll make it my personal mission to make sure you don’t have a job here any more.” He spat as he leaned in close to her face with a smirk. “Is that clear?”

“Clear.” She squeaked out.

“Good. Now go run along.” He said casually as she frantically nodded her head in compliance and scurried back over to her new boss.

Andrés quickly recomposed himself as he surveyed the room.

There was Moscow who ever the people person was currently chatting up Raquel and her two agents by the elevator undoubtedly trying to distract them from asking anymore questions that even the intelligent doctor didn’t know the answer too.

There was Tokyo who was flanked by Denver, Helsinki, and Stockholm. Andrés definitely didn’t miss the scowl she gave him as her newest agent quickly rambled on about what he had said to her just moments ago.

And finally standing by his desk was Nairobi, Bogotá, and Marseille whose eyes nervously darted back and forth between himself and the steps to the now closed door of Sergio’s office.

They were concerned and that was something that Andrés wouldn’t tolerate.

He was the Special Agent In Charge. 

He was the older brother of The Director that ran this place.

And he was the only man in this building that held the record for the most high profile arrests in the history of the FBI. Granted more than half of those were made when Martín was on his team but nobody needed to know that part because it didn’t change the fact that Andrés was the key factor that was responsible for it all.

He was a strong man who withstood the pain and trauma of a disease he had the unfortunate luck of inheriting from his mother. 

He didn’t need anyone to look at him with concern.

And that’s exactly why in that moment he chose to walk up to the forensic analyst and his teammates with his trademark smirk on his face.

“Are you okay?” Nairobi asked quickly as she flung her arms around Berlin in a tight hug.

What was wrong with everyone today? He thought to himself in astonishment as he struggled to comprehend how the day had gone so wrong so quickly.

“Ágata.” Andrés said lowly to her as his eyes connected with Bogotá who just shrugged in response. “People are staring. Not to mention the fact you might’ve just ruined my suit with your filthy hands.”

“Stop deflecting.” She whispered into Berlin’s ear so only he could hear. “I was here when Palermo was. I’d be an idiot to not have seen how much you both loved each other and I also saw how broken you were when he left. So don’t pretend like I don’t know you’re hurting Andrés.”

“This isn’t the time or place.” He responded calmly even though every ounce of him wanted to breakdown but he wouldn’t allow himself too.

He was a professional after all.

“Andrés.” She started to say in a disapproving tone but before she could finish a loud voice interrupted her.

Martin’s loud voice to be exact.

“Pablo! Hugo! Ágata!” Palermo exclaimed with a large smile as he made his way down the steps and over to the group. “My friends! How have you been?!”

“Ah! Martín!” Bogotá shouted with a grin. “I’ve missed you.”

“As have I.” Marseille added.

“Come over here and give me a hug!” Martín practically ordered the duo as they immediately complied and engulfed their former partner in their arms.

“It hasn’t been the same without you here.” Hugo whispered out and Berlin’s body immediately tensed at the mutes’ words.

His team had felt the absence as well.

Of course they had.

Palermo was the heart of his team and when he had left there was an undeniable void that no other agent that came after him was ever able to fill.

They were the four horsemen of this building.

Broken men who had chosen the wrong path when they were young teenagers just trying to make it in the world.

Each of them came from different backgrounds. 

Marseille was a former black ops soldier turned agent. 

Bogotá was an expert welder who had an unfortunate run in with a thief at his shop which in turn inspired his desire to make a difference in the world.

Andrés’ path to the job wasn’t as clean as the others. Sergio was very sick as a young boy and with both their parents unable to help Andrés had turned to stealing as a way to pay for his medical bills. 

Eventually his younger brother had convinced him to stop his ridiculous attempt at trying to become, in Segio’s words, a wannabe “Robin Hood” and he informed his brother that Quantico was looking for new recruits so Andrés packed up his things and left for the academy that very next week.

That was his story.

But then there was Palermo’s. 

He was an engineer trying to survive off of food stamps and cheap liquor because his parents threw him out of his home back in Argentina due to the fact he had revealed to them that he was gay.

Martín had tried stealing Andrés’ Rolex right off of his left wrist but when Berlin caught his arm in a harsh grip he didn’t scream at the man. No. Instead he began to laugh in amusement at the younger man's antics and invited him to have a drink with him.

And during that conversation Palermo had told him about his story and Andrés in turn had taken to the man because he ultimately saw a lot of himself in Martín. 

So Berlin took Palermo under his wing and taught him everything he knew about being an agent and soon enough the four men had formed the most elite team the bureau had to offer. 

It was like a fantasy that someone would have only written about in a novel or a fanfiction story that one of his ex wives always loved to read yet he never understood.

But it hadn't been just a story. It was real life. And eventually the idea of the so-called “happy ending” that Martín had dreamed about and boasted about to Andrés multiple times over late night glasses of wine had come to an abrupt ending because of an ultimatum his younger brother had given him only a mere five years ago.

“Ágata.” Martín suddenly said as she slowly pulled away from the man she held all this time in her arms and hugged Palermo tightly to her chest, effectively breaking Andrés out of his trance.

“How have you been?” She asked him as she stared into his eyes with pity and sadness evident in her voice. “You didn’t come to visit me.”

“Yes. Although I regret it....” Palermo said softly. “I...couldn’t…”

“I know.” She said seemingly understanding what he was trying to convey to her. “I’m just glad you’re back now.”

“Me too.” The Argentinian responded.

“You look awful.” Nairobi said bluntly as she examined his body with concern. “You’ve lost weight and your eyes look tired. Have you been taking care of yourself?”

“I’ve been managing.” He replied back sincerely but both Ágata and Andrés knew the man well enough to know that he was trying to protect himself from Nairobi’s hovering and he wasn’t in fact managing at all.

“I know you’re lying but I will drop it for now. But don’t think that you’ve escaped me.” Ágata said with narrowed eyes and for once Berlin internally thanked her for her annoying need to make sure everyone was okay because Martín sure as hell wasn’t going to let Andrés check on him nor should he after how they left things.

“Who is this?” Tokyo shouted curiously as her and her team made their way over to us along with Moscow, Raquel, and her two agents who have remained nameless.

“This is Palermo.” Nairobi said as she introduced him proudly. “He was the fourth member of Agent Fonollosa’s team before he decided to part ways with the bureau.”

“You left?” Denver asked skeptically as he ignored the other statements and seemingly zeroed in on that one. “Why?”

“Let’s just say…” Martín began as his eyes briefly flickered to Andrés and then back to the younger man. “I had a personal occurrence in my life that The Director thought comprised me and my ability to do the job.”

“But I’m back now.” Palermo finished with an assertive tone of voice that silenced Denver’s attempt to speak again. “And that’s all you need to know.”

“Now that we’ve established that.” Andrés began to say as he smirked at Tokyo’s glare he received from her. “Let’s all make our way to the conference room so we can go over the details of how we will be approaching this case.”

“All of us?” Stolkholm asked incredulously. “I wasn’t invited to the meeting in The Director's office though.”

“Director Marquina has put me in charge of this case which means I get to choose who I’m involving and I want you.” He said with a shrug as she struggled to hold in her joy.

“Okay.” She said with a smile.

“Dr. Ramos we will also be needing your help.” Berlin said as the older man nodded his head and Andrés turned to the Serbian standing by the corner of his desk. “Helsinki I will also need you.”

“Of course Special Agent Fonollosa.” Helsinki responded with a respectful nod similar to Moscow’s.

“Everyone please follow me.” Andrés said as he led the group into one of the conference rooms down the far end of the hall.

“I see you’re the same pretentious asshole you once were.” Martín commented under his breath as the duo made their way down the hall walking side by side.

“Do you really think now is the time to lash out like a child?” Andrés asked him with a raised eyebrow. “Or have you forgotten how to act like a professional after all these years?”

“Bastard.” Palermo muttered as everyone made their way into the room.

“Have a seat.” Andrés said politely as he stood at the head of the table with Martín at his side.

It almost felt like how it used to be.

Martín and him together again. 

Plotting.

Strategizing.

Ruling the world.

It seemed so similar yet so different.

But Andrés couldn’t think about that right now so he quickly shook off that unsettling feeling of 

deja-vu and refocused his attention onto the eleven figures sitting at the large table in the middle of the conference room.

“As I’m sure most of you have assumed this is a _classified_ mission so nothing either I or Palermo say leaves this room.” Berlin said as everyone silently nodded their heads.

“Now we have some new faces with us today so I propose that we go around the room and say our rankings, our city names, and our expertises in which we excel.” He added. “I will start.”

“I’m Special Agent In Charge Andrés de Fonollosa. My city name is Berlin.” He said. “And my expertise is in diamonds as well as strategy.”

“I’m Senior Special Agent Martín Berrote.” Martín said as he opened his leather jacket to show off the familiar badge and gun that Sergio no doubt gave back to him. “My city name is Palermo and my expertise is in engineering.”

“Engineering?” Tokyo asked in disgust. “Why do we need an engineer on this team?”

Palermo’s body tensed at her comment and Andrés immediately jumped to his former friend's defense.

“We’re not here to debate another persons worth on this fucking team Agent Oliveira.” Berlin sneered as Martín looked at him with a confused expression etched across his face but he quickly recomposed himself so that nobody else could see his reaction.

“Palermo is one of the best agents this place has ever had.” Nairobi said emphatically and Andrés struggled to hold in his amusement as Tokyo’s face morphed into a scowl as her friend defended the man she has yet to properly meet.

“I'm Forensic Scientist and Analyst Ágata Jiménez and my city name is Nairobi.” Ágata said as she quickly changed the subject to no doubt avoid a fight from starting.

“I’m Special Agent Oliveira. My city name is Tokyo and I specialize in leadership.” Tokyo reluctantly said.

“I’m Special Agent Mirko Dragic. My city name is Helsinki and my expertise is in firearms.” Helsinki said.

“I’m Doctor Ramos. I’m the coroner for the FBI and my city name is Moscow.” Dr. Ramos said politely.

“I’m Agent Daniel Ramos. I’m Dr. Ramos’ son.” Denver clarified for the group. “My city name is Denver and I specialize in the identification of different types of substances.”

“I’m Special Agent Pablo Josef. My city name is Bogotá and my expertise is welding.” Pablo said as Nairobi smiled encouragingly at him.

“I’m Special Agent Hugo Fernández. My city name is Marseille and I was a former black ops soldier before joining the bureau.” Marseille said as everyone nodded their heads at his revelation.

“My name is Mónica Gaztambide. I’m a new recruit for the FBI and I specialize in undercover missions specifically when I’m given an alias and I have to transform into that hypothetical person.” Mónica said as Andrés tilted his head in surprise. “And my city name is Stolkholm.”

To say Berlin was pleased would be an understatement.

_Perhaps the newbie would be useful to the team after all._ He thought to himself as he watched everyone’s heads turn to face the remaining three people sitting at the table who have yet to speak.

“My name is Special Agent Ángel Rubio. I work for NCIS and I was a former police officer. I don’t have a city name.” He said with a shrug.

“Well then pick one.” Palermo said mockingly as Ángel rolled his eyes but complied anyway.

“London.” He said simply as Martín nodded in satisfaction.

“Next.” Andrés snapped as the man next to him began to speak.

“I’m Special Agent Valentin Suárez. I also work for NCIS and I was also a former police officer.” He said casually. “And I want to go by the city name Dubai.”

“Nice choice.” Raquel commended him as she turned her head to us.

“My name is Special Agent Raquel Murillo. I work for NCIS and I specialize in negotiations.” She said proudly. “And I’d like to go by Lisbon.”

“Very well.” Andrés said as he nodded his head.

“Can you tell us what this case is about?” Stolkholm asked and it suddenly occurred to Berlin that she nor Helsinki and Moscow had any idea of why they were even here.

“Agent Aníbal Cortés who is our head of I.T. here has been kidnapped along with one of Lisbon’s NCIS agents.” Andrés explained as Stolkholm slowly nodded her head in understanding.

“So I’m assuming you have a plan Mr. Strategist?” Tokyo asked in irritation.

“I’m so glad you said that Tokyo because I do have a plan although it’s not _just_ mine.” Berlin clarified with a smile.

“It’s not just yours?” She questioned.

“No.” Martín deadpanned as he placed a hand on Andrés’ shoulder. “It’s _our_ plan.”

“It’s called _El Plan Dorado_.” Andrés said smoothly with an undeniable smirk as Martín mirrored his expression on his face and for a small moment it felt as if time had stopped.

Because for once everything had felt right.


End file.
